Palm Beach County, FL
All 624 county-scoped rules
Every published instrument scoped to Palm Beach County, newest effective date first. 0 circuit-wide and 636 statewide instruments also apply here — search all three layers together. Procedural information only; not legal advice.
Published rules, newest effective date first
Showing 51–100 of 624 · page 2 of 13
15th Cir. — Division U instructions
26 verbatim requirements from the 15th Circuit's Division U instructions page as published today.
15th Cir. — Division V instructions
26 verbatim requirements from the 15th Circuit's Division V instructions page as published today.
15th Cir. — Division W instructions
8 verbatim requirements from the 15th Circuit's Division W instructions page as published today.
15th Cir. — Division X instructions
32 verbatim requirements from the 15th Circuit's Division X instructions page as published today.
15th Cir. — Division Z instructions
23 verbatim requirements from the 15th Circuit's Division Z instructions page as published today.
4:00 P.M.+ Hearings Are Zoom-Only; Calendar Call Prefers In Person — Division AI
Judge Curley runs every hearing starting at 4:00 p.m. or later electronically via Zoom only, while in-person appearance at calendar call is strongly preferred — and jury panels max out at 42 without a prior court order.
After Default: Proposed Judgment Within 20 Days — Division RB
Judge Barnett requires plaintiffs awarded a default to deliver a proposed judgment within 20 days; small-claims pretrials run in person only, Tuesdays at 8:45 a.m.
Agreed Orders Need a New Agreed Court Date — Blank Dates Get Rejected — Division D/DR
Judge Damico rejects agreed orders that leave the court date blank: every agreed order must reference the parties' agreement AND carry a new agreed court date.
Agreed Orders: Times New Roman 12pt, Double-Spaced, No Special Formatting — Division KK1
Judge Casanova's order spec: Times New Roman 12-point, double-spaced, all paragraph tabs/macros/columns stripped, and no blank date space — write "DONE and ORDERED in Palm Beach County, Florida."
Agreed Verdict Forms by Noon Friday Before Trial Week — Division U/BUI
Judge Collins wants one agreed set of verdict forms by noon on the Friday before trial week; hearing materials including case law are due three business days out; orders within one week after hearing.
All Communications IN WRITING, Filed, Copied to Everyone — Division RD
Judge Corlew bars informal contact: every communication with the Court must be in writing, filed with the Clerk, with copies furnished to all parties — and no calls to the JA to schedule or cancel UMC.
ALL Hearings in Division M Are In Person
Judge Zuckerman holds every hearing in person — the bluntest appearance rule in the courthouse; remote appearance takes a written motion filed at least 3 days ahead.
Best Three Cases Per Issue, No String Citations, 10-Page Memos — Division FI
Judge Scher enforces brief discipline: memoranda capped at ten pages, legal authority limited to the best three cases per issue absent good cause, and string citations banned.
Cancellations Not Permitted; 2-Hour Call Means Extraordinary Circumstances — Division W
Judge Nutt does not permit hearing cancellations (an Agreed Order on a Motion to Continue MAY be accepted) — and once a case is on 2-hour call, only extraordinary circumstances move it.
Case Law AND Exhibit Copies 5 Business Days Ahead — Division FJ
Judge Weiss: case law and memos to chambers five business days before the hearing, and every exhibit a party intends to use listed on a notice of discovery and provided to the other side five business days out.
Case Law and Responses Filed 2 Business Days Ahead — Division DV/TD
Judge Burke requires all case law and written responses the parties rely on filed at least two business days before the hearing, with a PDF courtesy copy of the motion e-mailed to the court.
CMCs Mandatory — Attorneys AND Self-Represented — Division RF
Judge DiGangi makes every case management conference mandatory for attorneys and self-represented litigants alike, unless excused by the court in advance.
Competing Orders Go to the JA in Word, Copied to Everyone — Division JL
Judge Volker: routine orders through Online Services, but competing orders are e-mailed to the Judicial Assistant in Word with copies to all parties.
Conferral Means at Least THREE Good-Faith Attempts — Division JA/JM
Judge Small quantifies meet-and-confer: reasonable efforts require at least three good-faith attempts by the moving party, certified in every Notice of Hearing — and the NOH may be filed only after the JA's confirmation e-mail.
Contested Guardianships Are Heard In Person; UMC Motions Pre-Read Online — Division IZ
Judge Burton holds all contested guardianship proceedings in person, reads every UMC motion online before the hearing, and strictly enforces Rule 1.202 and Local Rule 4 conferral; courtesy copies five business days ahead.
Continuance Requests at Least 5 Days Before Court — Division T/KK2
Judge Hafele requires continuance requests at least five days before the scheduled court date — and no remote appearance at first appearances or RPO hearings.
Continuances 5 Days Out — Signed by the PARTY, Not Just Counsel — Division JO
Judge Kroll requires continuance motions five days before the court date and, per Rule 2.545(e), signed by the party requesting the continuance absent good cause; emergencies follow AO 3.206 with a detailed three-part motion.
Continuances Accepted Up to 24 Hours Before Court — Division B
Judge Bryson runs the tightest continuance window in the courthouse — at least 24 hours before the court date — with hearing materials due 2 business days out and jury instructions e-mailed one day before trial.
Continuances Filed at Least 10 Days Out — Division RC
Judge Rex requires continuance motions at least ten days before the scheduled court date; Local Rule 4 and Rule 1.202 conferral are mandatory.
Courtesy Copies 3 Days Out, Hearing Materials 2 Business Days — Division R
Judge Parnofiello: courtesy copies due 3 days before any hearing or trial; all hearing materials in chambers 2 business days ahead; in-courtroom counsel are addressed first and video must be on.
Courtesy Copies 3 Days Out; Over 30 Pages Goes Hard Copy — Division X
Judge Suskauer requires courtesy copies of motions and case law at least three days before the hearing — and anything over 30 pages must arrive as a hard copy.
Courtesy Copies by E-Mail — Always CC the State — Division KK1
Judge Casanova accepts defense courtesy copies of motions and proposed agreed orders by e-mail to the division — with the State always CC'd and originals filed with the Clerk.
Courtesy Copies Printed and Sent by U.S. Mail — Division FA
Judge Leitner is the family lane's paper judge: courtesy copies of UMC and special-set motions, memoranda, and case authority are PRINTED and sent via U.S. Mail.
Courtesy Copy of Every Speedy-Trial Demand — Division V
Judge Coates requires a courtesy copy of all FILED speedy-trial demands and notices of expiration, and counsel must know when speedy runs at every status check; no unilateral hearing settings.
Defendant Present at Pretrial — Counsel Cannot Waive — Division B
Judge Bryson requires the defendant personally at the pretrial hearing; defense counsel cannot waive the defendant's presence.
Defendant Required at Plea Conferences and Case Dispositions #2 — Division C
Judge Bonavita requires the defendant's presence at all plea conferences and second case dispositions; jury trials own Tuesdays/Wednesdays at 8:15 a.m.
Defendants May Never Call — Writing Only; Zoom Needs an Order — Division RH (FS, NC/H)
Judge Stephens bars defendants from calling chambers — all defendant communication in writing — and criminal Zoom appearances require a motion 4 business days out, ASA conferral, confirmed duration, and a signed order.
Defense Continuances Must Attach a Speedy-Trial Waiver — Division D/DR
Judge Damico: every defendant/defense motion for continuance must be accompanied by a waiver of speedy trial.
Dependency Trial Cadence: Lists at 1 Week, Motions at 2 (or Waived), Briefs at 4 — Division JA/JM
Judge Small runs dependency trials on a fixed clock from the trial-setting hearing: witness/exhibit lists in 1 week, pre-trial motions in 2 weeks (late ones deemed WAIVED), joint case brief, case law, and redacted records in 4 weeks — and DCF drafts the proposed order within 14 days, with unrecorded objections waived.
E-Courtesy 3 Business Days; Small-Claims Pretrials Mondays 1:00–1:45 — Division RC
Judge Rex: hearing materials via e-courtesy three business days ahead; UMC Mon–Wed 8:45 a.m. (10 minutes, 5 per side); small-claims pretrials stack Mondays at 1:00, 1:15, 1:30, 1:45.
E-Courtesy Only, Filed and Docketed, 5 Days Out — No Paper — Division AH
Judge Scott: hearing materials must be filed, docketed, AND delivered through E-courtesy five days before the hearing — and never send paper or notebooks to the courthouse.
Each Party Uploads a Proposed Order BEFORE Every Hearing — Division AG
Judge Siperstein flips the courthouse norm: each party uploads a Word proposed order via OLS before any and all hearings, stating case status, desired outcome, factual basis, and legal authority.
Electronic-Only Orders with Cover Letter, 3×3 Space, 1-Inch Margins — Division AK
Judge Sherman signs orders electronically only — no hard or emailed copies — with a cover letter confirming all parties reviewed, a 3×3-inch upper-right space, and one-inch margins.
Equitable Distribution: Numbered Asset List 2 Business Days Out — Division FI
Judge Scher requires a written numbered list of every disputed asset and liability with proposed values two business days before the hearing — and pre-trial stipulations that NAME the witnesses, not just attach lists.
Every Notice of Hearing Filed 72 Hours Ahead — Division JS
Judge Surber: ALL notices of hearing filed 72 hours before the hearing; status-check resets by agreed order filed at least 24 hours prior; delinquency arraignments Wed/Fri, dependency arraignments Tuesdays.
Every Order Arrives With an Agree-or-Disagree Document — Division FX
Judge Rowe: every proposed order must be accompanied by a document either confirming all parties' agreement or identifying the disagreement — due within one week after the hearing.
Everyone In Person at Calendar Call — No Continuance Motions That Day — Division X
Judge Suskauer requires State, Defense, AND Defendant in person at Calendar Call, will not hear Motions to Continue on Calendar Call day, and hears in-person appearances before Zoom ones.
Evidentiary Motions Filed 14 Days Before Calendar Call — Division P
Judge Castor requires motions needing an evidentiary hearing on file at least 14 days before calendar call; continuance motions must state grounds, length requested, and/or the new date.
Ex Parte Orders: Don't Ask for Status Before Day 7 — Division IA
Judge Schosberg Feuer reviews uploaded ex parte orders continuously — and asks that no one contact the JA about an order's status until seven days have passed.
Exhibits 3 Days Before Evidentiary, Interpreters 7 Days — Division T/KK2
Judge Hafele: exhibits in chambers three days before any evidentiary proceeding, courtesy copies two days out, all hearing materials three business days ahead, and interpreter requests seven days in advance.
Family Final-Judgment Package Due 24 Hours Before Hearing — Division FZ
For dissolution/paternity finals before Judge Delgado: child-support calculations, parenting plan, parenting-class certificates, MSA, and testimony sheets must all be attached no more than 24 hours before the hearing.
Fee Motions Must Attach Time Records — Division RA (Y, FW/FW2, BG/WI)
Judge Alijewicz requires every motion for attorney's fees and/or costs to attach a document detailing time records — no records, no fee award.
Fifteenth Cir. — Judge Christine Bruno: Hearing & argument time
11 verbatim courtroom requirements published by Judge Christine Bruno.
Final Judgments Need a 3×3-Inch Recording Space — Division AE
Judge Shull requires a 3×3-inch blank space at the top-right corner of every final judgment.
Good-Faith Conferral Before Setting Any Hearing — Division AO
Every party setting a hearing in Division AO must first confer in a good-faith effort to resolve the matter, and every hearing notice must include a certificate of that conferral. The division instructions state that conferral requires counsel to actually talk.